Readers

Wednesday, April 30, 2014

Things have been quiet around here. Sometimes (all the time) I find myself wishing there were more hours in a day. Time is not my friend, always running ahead, or behind, and never quite where I expect it to be. Moments of peace are hard to come by, short-lived, and as a result, highly coveted.

Weekdays are spent in a blur of days that blend into one another, as do weeks and months, so that it often catches me by surprise that, for example, it is May tomorrow. Saturdays are usually spent in a wild frenzy of simply trying to catch up on things like laundry and going through a pile of mail that has accumulated over the week. (Although, sometimes before or in-between the chores we treat ourselves to a bowl of pho at a nearby Vietnamese restaurant - an example of a coveted moment). Then there are a few more trips to a few more places (pet store for cat food, etc), and the day is ended with a trip to Whole Foods to get some eggs from happy chickens and bacon from certified humane farms.

Then finally: Sunday morning. A moment of peace. Allowing oneself to relax a little bit, maybe sleep in until an hour past the usual waking time. Then, as the rest of the house wakes up (mostly husband, since the cats and I wake early), he brews a big pot of coffee and fires up the cast iron pan for the bacon while I tend to the eggs and other things.

Then, heaven. A moment of bliss and bacon. A cat that laps up the egg yolk from my finger. A walk or a nap follows, a rest before another frenzied week begins.

Soft-Boiled Eggs
(Makes 4)

You will need:
4 Eggs

Directions:
Bring a medium pot of water to a boil (with enough water to cover the eggs). Carefully submerge eggs, one at a time, and cover. Wait for the water to simmer again (about a minute) and simmer for 6 minutes more (we find that 7 minutes total cooking time from the moment the eggs are submerged works perfectly for medium-to-large organic eggs). Drain and cool immediately under cold water to stop from cooking further. Serve.

Hash Browns
(serves 2-4)

You will need:
3-4 small red potatoes
2 tbsp olive or canola oil
Salt and pepper, eye-ball it

Directions:

Wash and peel the potatoes. Grate on a large grate. Using paper towels, squeeze most of the moisture out from the grated potatoes. Heat oil in a large frying pan on medium-high heat (drop a small grated potato piece to test - if it starts to sizzle, the pan is ready). Add the grated potatoes, spreading them out to a thin layer (about 1/4 inch thick). Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook, uncovered, until the bottom is golden brown and crispy, about 4-5 minutes. Flip the potatoes, cook until the other side is golden brown, 4-5 minutes more. Remove the hash browns to a paper towel-lined plate to absorb oil. Serve.